Trailblazing Williamson County Judge Brooks Set To Retire

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Judge Suzanne Brooks, County Court at Law One, announced her plans to retire from the bench in the spring of this year.

Brooks has been a county court at law judge since 2002, and was the first elected female trial court judge in Williamson County. She has been a public servant for 26 years.

“I want to thank the citizens of Williamson County for your trust to allow me to serve as Judge for all of these years," Brooks said in a prepared statement. "My hope is that I made a positive difference in the lives of those that appeared in my court.”

County officials said Brooks worked diligently with other judges and local officials to establish the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program in Williamson County.

“Judge Brooks served as an integral leader in the establishment of the CASA program in Williamson County in 2009 and since that time has remained an unwavering supporter of CASA,” Melia Graber, program director for CASA of Williamson County, said in a prepared statement. “As a true believer in the CASA model, Judge Brooks has always placed great value on the testimony of CASA volunteers and information they bring for her consideration. In appearing in her court, CASA volunteers know they and their work are valued, and even more, know that the children they are advocating for are valued. On behalf of CASA of Williamson County, I would like to extend our best wishes to Judge Suzanne Brooks on her upcoming retirement and express our gratitude for her years of service to the child welfare system, as well as diligence and dedication to the safety and well-being of children.”

Judge Billy Ray Stubblefield, a long-time associate of Judge Brooks, echoed those sentiments: "I have known Judge Brooks since shortly after she joined the District Attorney’s office in the early 1990s. She was an able lawyer and prosecutor—and fierce advocate for crime victims, particularly children."

Stubblefield expounded on the judge's personal attributes that led to an especially robust case load by choice: "After she was elected to the bench of County Court at Law #1, her heart for children and young people led her to ask to be assigned the lion’s share of the cases involving allegations of child abuse and neglect—those brought by the CPS Department, which we often refer to as the child protection docket," Stubblefield said in a prepared statement.

Yet her affection for children didn't compromise the exactitude of her work and focus on the job at hand, Stubblefield added: "Judge Brooks has always striven for those outcomes. She always does her homework, pays attention to the specific facts of a case, and avoids generalizing and categorizing. She has served long and well. She will be missed."

>>> Photo of Judge Suzanne Brooks courtesy of Williamson County